Lumber-grading machine



March 19, 1929- F. w. HORSTKOTTE LUMBER GRADING momma Filed 001- 12, .1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Q Inventor F'rederwtko e Attorney March 1929: F. w. HORSTKOTTE 'LUMBER GRADING MACK'INE Filed. Oct. 12, 192'? .2 slums-Shem I nven or Wide/7M W flaw/K017 A Home y l Patented Mar. 19, 1%29.

U N l T FREDERICK w. HORSTKOTTE, on PORTLAND, OREGON;

LUMBER-GRADING MACHINE.

Application filed October 12, 1927. Serial No. 225,7 1.

My present invention relates to a lumber nated' from the material as it is being fed over grading machine adapted for use in lumber the feed table 1. This feed table is adapted mills and other woodworking factories. for use in sorting or grading the lumber, and

During the process of manufacturing luin is provided with usual legs 2. A series of 60 her under usual conditions, it is frequently endless conveyor belts or chains 3 extend necessary to separate the boards or planks longitudinally of the tablell and are supinto different classes or grades, and the usual ported upon rollers or sprocket wheels 4: of custom now employed in lumber mills is for the spaced shafts 5 and 5 which are journaled a grader to inspect and markthe grade of a in hearings on this grading table 1. 65

board on the board as the latter passes the in- The boards A and B are fed to the table spector, and then a second man-is employed to endwise from the fast fed matcher 7 atone remove or dispose of the undesirable material. side of the table, and the boardsnre carried In carrying out my invention, the boards edgewise across the table 1 by the conveyers or planks are fed edgewise and as they pass 1 ie grader inspects the boards as they shows; .70

" the inspector or grader he manually shifts a sively pass him and the acceptable boards'B plank or board, to position Where the board continue to move edgewise under action of or plank will be fed endwise away from the endless belts or chains 8 forming. conveyors transfer table or conveying mechanism." In and supported on pulleys or wheels 9. This this manner, one man is enabled to separate a conveyor including the endless chains or belts 20 specific grade of planks or boards from the are supported in a buggy or frame 10, and

material being fed through a machine. the shaft 11 coacts with the shaft 5 as the op- The invention consists in certain novel c'oineratin'g means for the conveyors. The buggy biiiations and arrangements of parts as will or conveyeris adapted to be tilted on the shaft hereinafter be more fully set forth and 5" as a pivot, in order that the outer free end x 5 claimed. of the buggy may be adjusted for delivering;

In the accompanying drawings, I have ilthe boards to a statk or for delivering them to, lustrated one complete example of the physia car or truck. For this purpose, a usual cal embodiment of my invention in conneclifting link 12 is provided beneath the tiltable tion with woodworking machinery that is buggy, and a drumlSon the shaftliwinds 3O adaptedv to receive the lumber from the the cable 15, which is attached'at the lower niatcher or otherfmilliiig machine, and the endof the link 12, to lift the buggy or tiltable completed lumber is graded and the undesirconveyer to dotted line position in Fig. 2. able lumber separated, before the material is Any suitable means may be employed as the delivered to the stack or pile, orloaded upon drive pulley 16 for operatingthe lifter, and 35 cars or trucks. this mechanism forms an accessory only of Figure 1 is a plan view showing the convoythe invention herein disclosed. ing mechanism of a milling machine to which Returning to F 1g. 1, when the inspector or the completed plank or board is delivered; grader discovers an undesirable board A, he

Fig. 2 is a sectional view at line 22 of manually shifts the board longitudinally 40 Fig. 1; from the position of board 13 to that of board Fig. 3 is an end view at line 33 of Fig. 1; A in" order that the projecting end of the r Fig. 4; is a View in elevation showing the board A may begripped by a pa r of rollers two gripping rolls and their operating mecha- 17 and 18 when the bOLld'A'WhfCll is being i I fed edgewise, reaches the position of the 45 5 is a side view of the mechanism of hoardB in Fig. 1..

Fi 4 7 Thus one end of the board A is carried into 6 is a top plan view of the upper gripposition between the outer or free ends of the ping roll and its tiltable frame; and rolls 17 and 18. as indicated n Fig. 4-. These Fig. 7 is a sectional detail View of one of rolls 1'? and 18 of course are revolved in op- 5 50 the gripping rolls. posite directions, and are provided with In order that the general arrangement and shafts 19 and 20, respectively, journaled in relation of parts may readily be understood, suitable bearings, in the frame 21. The I have indicated in Fig. 1 by the letter G the shafts are provided with. sprocket wheels 22 position where the grader stands in order and 23 over which a sprocket chain 24 passes that he may manually shift the lumber, as a and this chain isdriVen from the base of the plankAin order that this plank may be elimimachine by a drive sprocket 25on the drive shaft which is journaled in abearing bracket 27.

The upperroll 17 is counter-weighted or counterbalanced in order that it may move toreceive the board, and in order t rat the two gripping rollers may fr1ctionaliyengage t upper and lower races of the board to iew endwise. Thus the'up'per roller and its shaft so-$5, into :1 tr

i are journaled in a tiltable frame 28' 32 is attached,

, and 41. The

series of conveyor These shafts lt and are provided with 46 for the conveyers 43' conveyer' belts belts 37 supportedin the frame 38 on rollers 39 which are revolvable with their shafts boardsA are fed edgewise by these conveycr belts 37 and deposited on the tiltable frame 42 which is provided'with a belts or endless chains 43.

wheels or pulleys and these boardsA are delivered from these l3 and may be again treated to or they'may be stored correct defects,

lThe frame 42 and or stack ed for future use.

conveyer,

for. the increasing height of a staci'z of lumher, or to adapt the conveyer for other purposes. The tilting frame is provided with a lifting link -17 having a cable 418 that passes around the drum 4 9, and when the drum is revolved of course the tilt-able frameis elevated or lowered as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. 7 An electric motor is illustrated in Fig. 1 for driving parts of themachinery, and it will be understood that other accessories necessary torcomplete installation of ma" 'chinery are provided,

although not herein shown.

Various changesand alterations may be may be utilized in V as indicatediin 3, is also- ,{tiltable to adapt and adjust the conveyer .niade in'thema'chinery as herein illustrated where the practical application of the'invention is shown behind a fast fed planing mill machine, and it will be understood that the part oi the mach nery involving my invention connection with other types of conveying machinery that are em ployed in lumber mills and in other similar plants.

Having thus fully described my invention,

whatl clain'rasnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-.

l. The combination with a grading; table and a lumber conveyor thereon whereby the boards are moved successively, ot a feed mechanism disposed at an angle to the conveyer mechanism and located in the path of movement of and adapted to receive offset boards that have been shifted with relation to the feed oi the lumber. V p

2. The combination with a conveyor for moving lumber edgewise, of a pair of pine; rolls arranged at one side of the conveyer in the path of movement of and adapted to receive an offset board that has been shifted out of original position, whereby the board may be transferred as described.

3. The combination with a lumber convever for moving lumber edgewise, of a pair of feed rolls at one side 01": the 'conveyer in thepath of movement of certain oiiset boards, said rolls being fashioned to receive and grip an offset board, and means for operating; said feed rolls. I V l r l. The combination with a grading table and endless conveyers thereon for moving.

lumber edgewise, of a pair of rolls in the path oi movement of an offset board on the con veyers, said rollers .5. The combination with an endless iconveyer for moving lumber edgcwise, of a pair oii-anggularly disposed feed rolls located at one side oi the conveyor in the path of movement of an oiiset board on the conveyer and adapted to grip said board, means for c0un. terbalancingthe upper grip roll, and means ior'operating said rolls.

'- In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature.

r. w. HORSTKOTTE.

grlpi 7 having tapered ends to receive and grip the end of the oiiset board. 

